What is Scratch, and why is it important? Ten years after Scratch was first released, hear from users of all ages as well as Mitchel Resnick, Natalie Rusk, and other members of the Scratch team at the MIT Media Lab.

The Office of Undergraduate Advising and Academic Programming welcomed 12 enthusiastic students to MIT from Salemwood Middle School in Malden, Massachusetts on November 17. The middle schoolers, who represented grades 5-8, eagerly arrived on campus to learn firsthand what makes a successful student.

MIT+K12 Videos is an educational outreach media program in the Office of Digital Learning. We produce original digital media and live programming that seeks to spark curiosity and a love of learning among middle-high school students, open the door to the science / technology / engineering / math (STEM) world, and promote STEM-literacy among the general public.

With support from the National Science Foundation, and in collaboration with the City of Cambridge Youth Programs and the Cambridge Public School District, MIT’s Terrascope program is launching Terrascope Youth Radio, a new outreach program for local teens. In Terrascope Youth Radio, urban teens will develop, report, write, produce and host a radio program on topics having to do with environmental and Earth-system science and engineering. The primary goals are: to reach other urban teens with science/engineering stories in a format that they see as relevant, interesting and important; and to instill in participants a sense of empowerment and excitement, both about their skill as communicators and about their knowledge of environmental and Earth-system topics.

A group of high school students from Wayland High School, John D. O'Bryant School of Math and Science, and Cambridge Rindge and Latin School spent the summer designing and building their own version of the Segway – the DIY Segway. They worked with Ed Moriarty and four MIT students as part of the Edgerton Center Outreach Program. Now they have a site (that is getting lots of hits) showing their engineering adventure: http://web.mit.edu/first/segway .

After a successful start, the Edgerton Center is embarking on year two of a pilot project with the Gloucester Public Schools. The intent is to raise the interest of middle and high school students in science, technology, and engineering fields by sharing MIT’s passion for science. MIT’s hands-on project style engages young students in learning the complex content of science. Edgerton staff has been working with the staff and students of the Gloucester Public Schools to test methods and curriculum materials. Gloucester students have visited on field trips, and attended summer camps, and a number of teachers have also participated in professional development opportunities at MIT. Along the way, we hope to discover the best practices for working with distant school districts in such collaborations.

The Software Tools for Academics and Researchers (STAR) team of the Office of Educational Innovation and Technology (OEIT) recently collaborated with the MIT Center for Environmental Health Sciences (CEHS) and the MIT Museum to familiarize local high school AP Biology teachers in the Boston area with some exciting and interactive tools for teaching important biology concepts. This was part of the AP Biology Callback Series sponsored by the Harvard Medical School Office for Diversity and Community Partnership. Dr.

Imagine being a sixth grader with an MIT graduate at your side helping you build your very own rocket launcher, underwater robot, or boat from scratch. This fantasy is becoming a reality for many Gloucester students thanks to a collaboration between the Gloucester Public School system, the Gloucester Education Foundation, and the MIT Edgerton Center. The goal of this collaboration is to explore new ways to reach out and engage Gloucester students in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) through new STEM curriculum, teacher professional development, student programs, and most recently, interaction with MIT alumni volunteers.

MIT alumnus Eric Mears, Class of ‘80, listens as Gloucester High School students CJ Mustone (right) and Brandon Henry (left) talk about their engineering projects